Event Abstract Back to Event Role of the nuclear receptor TLX in cognition during adolescence and adulthood James D. O'Leary1*, Cara M. Hueston1, Danka A. Kozareva1, Olivia F. O'Leary1, John F. Cryan1, 2 and Yvonne M. Nolan1 1 University College Cork, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Ireland 2 Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Biosciences Institute, University College Cork, Ireland The nuclear receptor Nr2e1 (TLX) is a key regulator of embryonic and adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis plays a role in spatial learning and memory, a function which is impaired in TLX-deficient mice. However, the role of TLX in a variety of cognitive tasks remains largely unexplored. Moreover, it is not yet clear whether there are critical periods during postnatal life when TLX plays a more predominant role in cognition, and whether such effects are sex-dependent. The aim of this study was to determine the role of TLX in hippocampal neurogenesis-dependent cognition as well as in hippocampus-independent cognition during adolescence and adulthood. To this end, a variety of cognitive processes were examined in adolescent (P28) and adult (P56) male and female wild type (WT), Nr2e1+/- and Nr2e1-/- mice. Motor learning, a cortico-cerebellar and cortico-striatal based learning process, was assessed utilizing the rota‐rod latency to fall paradigm. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis-associated cognition was assessed using spontaneous alternation in the y-maze. Locomotor activity was measured in an open field. Results indicate that adolescent male and female Nr2e1-/- mice were hyperactive compared to Nr2e1+/- and WT mice (p<0.05) and that this effect persists in adulthood. Motor learning was unaffected by genotype and sex. Female Nr2e1-/- mice showed impaired spontaneous alternation during adolescence compared to Nr2e1+/- and WT mice (p<0.05). Whether this phenotype persists into adulthood is still under investigation. Together, these findings suggest a role for TLX, in hippocampal neurogenesis-associated cognition but not in cortico-cerebellar/striatal cognitive processes. Acknowledgements Supported by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI/IA/1537). Keywords: TLX, Nr2e1, Cognition, adult hippocampal neurogenesis, adolescence Conference: Neuroscience Ireland Young Neuroscientists Symposium 2014 , Dublin, Ireland, 20 Sep - 20 Sep, 2014. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Early Career Neuroscience Citation: O'Leary JD, Hueston CM, Kozareva DA, O'Leary OF, Cryan JF and Nolan YM (2014). Role of the nuclear receptor TLX in cognition during adolescence and adulthood. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: Neuroscience Ireland Young Neuroscientists Symposium 2014 . doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2014.87.00043 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 19 Sep 2014; Published Online: 19 Sep 2014. * Correspondence: Mr. James D O'Leary, University College Cork, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Cork, Ireland, jdoleary@yahoo.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers James D O'Leary Cara M Hueston Danka A Kozareva Olivia F O'Leary John F Cryan Yvonne M Nolan Google James D O'Leary Cara M Hueston Danka A Kozareva Olivia F O'Leary John F Cryan Yvonne M Nolan Google Scholar James D O'Leary Cara M Hueston Danka A Kozareva Olivia F O'Leary John F Cryan Yvonne M Nolan PubMed James D O'Leary Cara M Hueston Danka A Kozareva Olivia F O'Leary John F Cryan Yvonne M Nolan Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.